


Inferno

by TheFoolsKnightober (TheFoolsKnight)



Series: Whumptober 2020 [14]
Category: The Eldest Curses Series - Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst and Feels, BAMF Magnus Bane, Death, Fire, M/M, Metaphors, Soulmates, Water, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:28:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27136624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFoolsKnight/pseuds/TheFoolsKnightober
Summary: Whumptober Day 14 - FireIn which Magnus and Alec are fire and water, working in perfect symphony until, one day, they can't.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Whumptober 2020 [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947043
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	Inferno

Magnus had always thought that he was like a fire.

Ever since Magnus had burned his father alive (oh, the irony), he’d spent a good chunk of his life learning to control his powers. The Silent brothers, and later Ragnor, had often told him that, if he ever lost control of his powers, it could result in a lot of loss and destruction, a carnage that the world could never recover from.

So he held back. He always held back, pulling out the firewood from himself until he was reduced to a candle flame.

For a while he lived using as less magic as possible. And slowly, with Ragnor's help, Magnus let himself grow into a fire in the hearth, the kind that warmed you when you were outside in the cold, nearly freezing to death. The kind of fire that brought you to your knees in front of the hearth and reach out your hands for warmth, the kind of fire that would readily give you that warmth. The kind of fire that cooked your meals and lit up your house and lit your firecrackers on the happiest of days.

Fire wasn't always bad. Like everything else, it has the potential to do good, and that was exactly what Magnus chose to do.

And then there was Alec.

Alec, Magnus saw right from the start, was water. Calm, steady, and generous with itself. Alec was ready to carry the world on his shoulders the way water carried life, with a grace that never failed to amaze Magnus. But just like water, he had the potential to lay lands to waste. Magnus saw it in him sometimes, in the way Alec looked when he was raining arrows upon his enemies, when he was wielding seraph blades and moved swift as a current, crashing into his foes the way a large wave would crash onto land. And yet, when he was with his loved ones, he was as gentle as the water of a woodland brook, like the dewdrops collected on flower petals early in the mornings.

They complimented each other - fire and water. The heat of the fire turned water to steam, and the water doused the fire when it got too hot. They kept each other at bay, and what one couldn't do, the other did, and the world was a better place when they worked in harmony. One could never think that fire and water could work together, but they were all wrong. No one ever seemed to realize that it was the fire of the sun that moved the seas and made the waves, that it was the torrential rains that stifled the sparks of the wildfires. If you look closely, it is always fire and water, working in perfect symphony to run the world as it does today.

Fire and water - they were meant to be.

But the harmony that Magnus and Alec worked hard for didn't last forever - not everything did. The threat this time came from the inhabitants of Idris, who had locked themselves away for several years. Until now.

After a long series of battles, they were in Brocelind Plains now, Downworlders and Shadowhunters fighting united against the cohort and the demons they had chosen to conspire with. Alec had been understandably frustrated when they found out - fighting against Shadowhunters was one things, but aligning themselves with demons was an utterly unforgivable sin.

Magnus felt the Alliance rune on his arm burn as he hurled bolts of magic at the demons, restraining them and sending them back to whatever Hell dimension they had crawled out of. He took down a Dravak just as two arrows whizzed past him, embedding themselves in two formless demons that crumpled away and disappeared before Magnus could identify them. He turned and locked eyes with Alec for a brief moment, both of them exchanging a nod before Alec had to pull out a blade and engage with one of the cohort members while Magnus turned his attention to the demons who were rapidly advancing towards them now. The wedding ring that he had been given by Alec all those years ago now felt heavy on his hand as he fought for his life. They  _ had _ to win this. 

But even as Magnus watched, more and more portals opened all around the field, demons spilling out of all of them and taking Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike by surprise. Magnus cursed and sent out a bolt of fire, knocking out a demon and preventing it from dragging a werewolf through a portal. Magnus gritted his teeth. First things first, he had to close those portals. 

He waved his fingers, sending out messages to all the warlocks across the field as he made his way to the portal closest to him. It was easy to close the portal, but the real problem was the demons. They were all close to the portal, and Magnus had to fend them off before dealing with it. Luckily for him, a few werewolves and faerie warriors had noticed his dilemma, and dragging a few Shadowhunters along, came to his rescue.

The portal was closed, but Magnus felt no relief even as all the portals closed off, one by one, cutting off any connection between the other dimensions and theirs. There were still too many demons on the field. The battle was still in full swing.

Before Magnus could ponder upon what his next move ought to be, he heard a scream, loud enough to bring down the high cliffs that rested by the seaside. Maguus turned, and saw even through the long distance that separated the two of them, though the warriors and demons and blood staining the grass, Alec, standing with his sword locked against the cohort member in front of him, and another behind him, holding a blade that had been thrust through Alec's back, a sickly grin on his face.

Magnus screamed.

A wave of magic spilled out from his fingers, pushing everyone out of his path, regardless of which side they were on. He had only one goal now, and that was Alec, and Alec alone.

Alec's eyes were wide, and the blade was yanked savagely out of him, spilling fresh blood onto the ground. Magnus lamented for Alec when the other Shadowhunter ran his own sword through Alec before he could recover from the first one. Magnus fired rapid curses at the two Shadowhunters, driving them away from Alec, but it was too late. Alec crumpled to the ground, the brunt of two deep sword wounds too much for his body.

Magnus’s feet skidded against the ground, slippery with blood as he dropped to the ground beside Alec, pulling him into his arms immediately.

Around them, the battlefield was silent, both sides watching intently - one with dread and anguish for their fallen leader, the other with cruel hope.

"Alexander," Magnus whispered in relief when Alec stirred, looking up at Magnus through narrowed eyes. His face was ashen and pale, his armour and the ground around him soaked in his blood. It was now beginning to soak Magnus's armour too, but he could care less. "Alexander, please-"

Alec shook his head, though it seemed to cause him great pain to do so. His hair, coated in blood was sticking to his forehead. Magnus smoothed it away from his face, trying not to look at the bloodstains covering his pale skin.

"I'm sorry," Alec said, turning up a guilt laden gaze towards Magnus. "Magnus, I- I love you."

Magnus shook his head and tried to explain to Alec that everything would be fine, that they would go back to camp and then Alec would get healed, that they would go home like they always did.

But Alec simply smiled, reached up to touch his cheek with a bloody hand, and then closed his eyes and breathed his last.

The battlefield was silent for several moments.

Magnus could only stare at Alec. He looked as if he was simply asleep, as if all Magnus had to do was shake him a little and then he'd be awake again.

Deep down, Magnus knew the truth. They all did.

A small murmur spread through the crowd, like a ripple in a pool, but Magnus paid no heed as the murmurs turned into loud cheers and shouts of anger and confusion and screams of grief. All he could see in his mind's eye was Alec getting stabbed in the back, the manic grin of the Shadowhunter who had delivered the killing blow, and something inside Magnus snapped.

His hands tightened around Alec and he stood up, and despite all the noise, everyone in the immediate vicinity of Magnus turned to look at him. 

Maybe it was the magic leaking out of him, maybe it was the way he looked, worn out with the corpse of his husband in his arms, his hard gaze directed towards the ground, but some of them walked away, looking almost scared. Some ventured forward, out of either concern or scorn, but Magnus could care less.

He raised his head, and those that met his gaze saw something of his father, the Prince of Hell in his eyes.

"The battle isn't over yet," Magnus said, his voice hollow and holding weight, and then directed his next words to the cohort member standing closest to him. "And all of you shall  _ burn." _

Without the water to keep it at bay, the fire of the hearth grew into an inferno.

And by the Angel did it  _ burn. _


End file.
